Heart in God

Behind The Art

My friend Melissa’s car was in the shop. She didn’t want to talk about it. Turns out, the previous Saturday her youngest son - six years old, “into everything”, as the saying goes - and a couple of his little buddies were playing in the garage because it was raining. Not only were they playing in the garage, they were playing “Garage”, that is, they were pretending to be mechanics, servicing Mom’s car. Imaginary substitution is always at the crux of this kind of play. When I was a young boy, a cowboy in my mind’s eye, cola diluted to the right color became whiskey; a thumb and perpendicular forefinger made a six-shooter.

For Melissa’s son that morning, a can of Fix-a Flat became a gasoline pump.

The engine was only designed to run on gasoline. Our hearts were only designed for God. We can try various substitutes, but they ultimately fail.

—Michael